BEING OBJECTIVE ISNT EVERYTHING. . .
So, for the past few days I've been having a rather heated debate regarding the politics of the upcoming election. This "debate" as you might call it, involves people on the website which deals in Chemtrails.
I had always thought people on a website that deals in conspiracy theories would at least have an open mind and objectively look at things. I mean, they're trying to prove something based on little, if any evidence. To do so, one most suspend quite a bit of the normal scientific method to come ot the conclusion this "conspiracy" is true. I posted a while back my faith in this particular conspiracy is growing thin (see 05/25/04 for my thoughts). So I found it particluarly alarming when the posts starting coming fast and furious. The topic of the thread had to do with the documentary regarding how FoxNews is soooooooo right leaning. WOW! Now there's a shocker. So I posted a few thoughts regarding the fact that there seems to be an overwhelming bias actually in the opposite direction. I threw up a ton of statistics and suddenly found myself the target of the these people. The most profound thing I started to find was the original poster "KNOW-THIS" never put any of his OWN thoughts on any of his posts, it was simply him posting articles from different websites. How nice to have a mouthpiece for your thoughts. How nice to be able to actually form an argument and back it up with facts and your own opinon and conclusions. Not somebody else's ideas you simply use for the benefit of your own argument.
I then thought to myself, well, politics is kinda a heavy issue right now and people are pretty adament about which canidate they're going to vote for and which one they really don't like. So maybe, it's just me, starting an argument I can't win, or don't care to win. I guess these people never took any classes on philosophy and the art of arguing effectively.
I just posted this response (you'll have to scan ot the bottom of the page) on the thread, so it will be interesting to see what people post after it. I wonder if I will be accepted back into the fold, or merely ousted from the baord. Eitherway, it doesn't make much difference. If you can't objectively look at something, then I feel really sorry for you. The ability to think critically is lost on people today. We are far more comfortable leaning on other people's viewpoints, rather than critically analyzing what's being said and the purpose behind it. This is why I love conservative talk shows. They will break down what's being said and attempt to find out what the real purpose of what's being said. Politicians are such slimy, slippery creatures. I think Dennis Prager does this the best (thus, the link on my page) and also interjects a great deal of morale viewpoints to accentuate his position.
So what have I learned? Well, that politics is a messy game, there are some REALLY big kooks and nutzos out there, and basically people love to think as a group instead of as individuals. Nothing very revelatory there, just some conclusions I've drawn from this experience.
Oh well. . . .now for something MUCH BETTER. . . . .
This is Danny Way. This is Danny Way defining what is, "Imgaine the possibilities?"
Here's a link to Danny's home page with some KILLER videos of the MEGA RAMP!!
What WERE you expecting?? Some thong clad hottie? Well, here's one of those too!
more some other day. . . my brain is melting right now. . .
LATE
A LONG STRANGE TRIP
So this weekend was rather interesting. I took a roadie up north to visit my best friend who lives in Fargo. West Fargo to be exact, but a nice move for him. Him and his wife got a really, really nice house in a new development. I was really impressed. The house was pretty cool.
So I didn't know what to expect, seeing as how NDSU used to be my stomping grounds. School was out for the summer, so traffic around campus was pretty slow. John Edwards was due to speak, so there was a lot of commotion for that. We apparently got there several hours before he was set to arrive, so it was still pretty easy to move around campus.
The problem I've been having is how to finally put my demons to rest. College was such a great time in the beginning, but it all collapsed in the end. The way I ended my college career was not really how I had envisoned it. These are the demons I wrestle with. I have dreams of being in school, being older and not recognizing anything anymore. What I realized is that Fargo is changing, just like in my dreams. So much of Fargo I didn't recognize. So much of the Fargo I knew is coming down, reduced to rubble. New bars, new buildings on campus, new downtown renovations that have transformed the city. It was pretty weird to see how everything has changed. I was remebering all the good times I had while I was in college. Now, I was the outsider, the old guy trying to relive my past. How sad is that? Trying to explain to my friends, "Yeah, this is the last house I lived in. Gawd I remember the time when. . . " After doing this a few times, it just sounded old and stupid. Like I was this old guy looking at the house remembering my glory days. Fuck! I do NOT want to be that guy!
So I have concluded my feelings are disjointed and incomplete. I never had the last page of my book written. It just ended without notice. So now I am forced to take those memories and walk away from the best time of my life. My reconcilliation was complete on the way home. There just were no more feelings left for me to share. I felt the excitement coming into Fargo like I did so many times. You see, the highway leading into Fargo is a long, straightaway that runs for probably 4 or 5 miles. So most of the time, I felt as though the city had opened her arms to welcome me back. I was the king, returning to my city, my friends, and the life I loved. I was always on the inside. Someone always welcomned me back, someone was always there to go and drink with me. Someone always wanted to know I was back in town. It was great, and it felt right.. Now I was a different person, it was a different time. The feelings I had coming back to Fargo, were the same I had when we finally got back to Minneapolis. The tinge of knowing I probably would not be back to Fargo for a while was hard, but it was good to back in Minneapolis.
So did I exercise my past - or merely concrete the memories I had? Did I want to remember my time there as positive and finally let go of what I've been chasing for so many years? I want to be the guy who remembers and is thankful for the time I spent in Fargo. I don't want to kkep chasing the memories of who I was. My time if Fargo was probably the best time of my life. I went there a suburban boy and brought back the riches of learning how to live my life. I had it all, and in an instant, it all faded away. My friends, my family, my life. I lived the brightest and the darkest days of my life, all within 7 years. It was funny, on the way home, I tried to recall the names of the ghosts of my past. Most, I came up blank, some fettered in the back of my mind. Only able to grasp at first names, matching some with faces, others were a total blank.
My only regret is that it all ended too soon. My life is here, in Minneapolis now. Those days have long since faded. I have so many memories I took with me, so many I left behind. So now, the next chapter of my life has started, and the life I knew in Fargo I now must let go of.
Maybe next time I come into town, I will feel more like a stranger, than a ghost coming back to see the place I once inhabitited.
The ghosts of NDSU? Sounds like a cool book. . . .
LATE
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR CAN MAKE
I had no idea that tomorrow will be my one year anniversary in the blogossphere. A LOT has happened in the past year. The year has really flown by. From my first post, which was basically about nothing, to learning how to post pictures, hyperlink text and the like, it's been an all around fruitful experience.
What have I learned from my first year in the blogosphere? I've always felt that writing was a good outlet for me. At least to simply jot down how I was feeling at a particular time. So in this regard, blogging certainly has helped me. It's also helped take some really disjointed thoughts and put them into a cohesive stream of conscious. I think CONSTANTLY about things I feel I know too little about. I CONSTANTLY drive to achieve goals and learn new things. So blogging has helped focus some of my random energy into something more useful than just passing thoughts. I think if you look through some of my posts, you'll see that.
So I haven't really opened this kinda private forum for discussion. This has been more of a journal for me, the ability to look back and see what was going in the world and my reaction to it. A way for me to keep track of this crazy life. They say it goes by all too fast, which is oh so true.
My blog is already public, so now I'm going to take the next step and allow people to respond to my blog and see what happens. So who else is out there that would want to read my mindless dribble? That's what I intend to find out!
So my topic for today is not politics, not conspiracy thoeries, but all about people who piss me off and how I deal with them.
PEOPLE WHO DONT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!!
Yes, faster traffic to the left, slower traffic to right. How easier would life be if everybody followed these directions? My only problem is people who drive around 50-55 IN THE LEFT LANE!!! My other major issue is reckless drivers. You've seen them, using off ramps as passing lanes, riding people's ASSSES when the person in the left lane is going 70mph plus. So here's my solution to this doughheads.
First, don't jam on the brakes. That only makes the person more pissed off. Just take your foot off the gas, and run down to about 45-50 mph. The only way this trick works is if you have someone in the right lane running near the same speed. Chances are usually pretty good a car is going that speed, otherwise the yahoo would have simply zipped around you.
So now he's on your ass, maybe close enough where you can't see his headlights. So I slow down to the speed of the car in the right lane and "box" him in. Now, he can't get around you, and he can't go any faster than the car in the right lane. Most of the time, this works to perfection and after a few seconds, the person will usually back off. when this happens I'll take this cue and switch lanes to let him to get by. If the guy doesn't let up, I keep doing it until he gets pissed and turns on his bright lights, tries to pass on the shoulder, or do something even more stupid. In any case, I usually call the State Patrol and report his "erradict and dangerous driving", or say something like, "He looked like he was drunk when he passed me, and was swerving all over the road and already forced one person to the shoulder." Under most circumstances, it gets the cops there pretty fast and he gets pulled over rather quickly.
So what's it like to be an a-hole driver? I don't know, but if you're going to be an a-hole, then you get treated like an a-hole. Pure and simple.
oh well. . .enough rambling, here's my picture for the day.
This is Minnesota in Fall, my favorite season. I'm going to write a lengthy piece about why I love Fall so much and just don't think I could live anywhere else. Minnesota, four full seasons. Ahhh, what a beautiful place I live. So lucky.
Anyways, think on it. . . . . .
LATE
ANOTHER DAY IN THE BLOGSPHERE
Another day, another deleted post. Yesterday, I spent like a fricking hour posting all this stuff, only to hit the preview button and *poof* it's gone. I was so pissed, I almost gave up. But alas, another day, another tale of weird stuff.
So Lance won his sixth tour, Filip got busted HUGE. Thanks for the memories guys. Lance, I don't know if he'll be back. If nothing else, it seems like people are trying to push him out of the sport, which is really shitty. So he may just come back to shut people up and hang a seven or eight tours on them. Or even better? Maybe he'll go after Merckx record of 5 Tours and 5 Giro De Italia wins. Who knows, but Eddy will always be the greatest in my mind until that day. To see Lance win 5 is amazing, ever seen history being made? I still think it's pretty cool what Lance has benn able to do.
Yes, Eddy, you are still the greatest - but you got some competition now bro.
So to re-cap briefly, my son last Sunday and I was pretty depressed. He had a hard time Friday night, not wanting to go home. Since then, I talked with him on the phone and he sounded like he was back in good spirits again.
Probably the best thing was taking my son to the skatepark. I was really against it, and had my reservations about how he would do. His good friends were there, which helped quite a bit. So in the end, I relented and I was relieved to see him to do well. I was really proud of him and he kept talking about how fun it was even when I just talked with him on the phone. I told his mother she had to buy him a new helmet, and sure enough I got a voice mail from him that he got his new helmet and was already going to the skatepark by his house; which was nice to hear.
Okay, so onto more important things. My goal of getting my bike built has finally materialized, and I'm in the process of getting a mechanic at our shop to build it for me. Of course I can do the easy stuff, but the disc brakes, wheels, deraileurs and the like are going to prove to be too tough for me. So I'll have somebody do it right the first time. So I changed direction on my crankset. Originally I wanted the Race Face Deus. On further review, I ended up going with the Truvativ Stylo Team set.
Here's what they'll look like:
how beautiful.. . . . . . I can barely wait. . .
At least I've found another great show I like. Metal Mania on VH1 classics is AWESOME. Lots of 80's metal. the harispray, the melodic ballads, the spandex.
So a few nights ago, there are a series of videos, most of the bands I never heard of, but remember the songs. I suddenly find myself STARING at the screen. I came to the stern realization that the 80's were ten years of pure androgyny. What a revelation! So now I'm doing some research on what exactly lead to this crazy stuff, and the funny part? Pure widespread acceptence.
Oh yeah here's some more good news. John Kerry is about to go down in flames HARDCORE. These guys that served with him in Vietnam wrote a book that just hazes him. Here's a link to the their website. Hard to argue Kerry's own words, reports, and cross referencing with archived reports, and also eye witness accounts from the guys who served with him..
Sorry John. . . .
That's all I got for right now. . . . more on Filip and EPO laters brah!
My pic of the day:
GAWD I CANT WAIT TO GET BACK ON MY NEW BIKE!!!!
late
